Kildunne riding crest of 'insane' World Cup wave

Ellie Kildunne is still riding the crest of an 'insane' World Cup wave as she bids to take her international form back on to the domestic scene with Harlequins.

England’s full-back, who cemented her status as one of the finest players in the game during the Red Roses' success on home soil, has not had long to adjust back to normality. 

Kildunne scored a superb individual try in the final against Canada and the memories of that unforgettable day at a packed-out Allianz Stadium are still at the forefront of her mind. 

Speaking just a spiral kick away at Twickenham Stoop at a PWR media day, Kildunne said: “It was insane. It was one of those things that it didn't really feel like a final before the day. I don't really know why. 

"Whether it's because we'd been there before, whether I had complete confidence in us as a group and knew that we couldn't do anything more than what we'd already done. 

“But then coming in on the bus and seeing the spiral staircases as we drove in, you couldn't really see how many people were there, but you saw that they were rammed all the way up. That was a really special moment.

“I've not really found the words to describe it perfectly. Until I write it down, it's still something that I'm processing.

“I've spoken to plenty of people who are regulars to the men's game, and they've said that Twickenham has never felt or sounded the way that it felt on that day. It was just a really, really proud moment that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.”

THE MOMENT 🏆

When England became three-time World Cup winners.#RWC2025pic.twitter.com/v8keX4F3je

— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) September 27, 2025

Now back with Harlequins, Kildunne will hope to guide her club back to the PWR Play-Offs after their semi-final appearance last season. 

Despite the short turnaround between the World Cup and the start of the new PWR season on October 24, Kildunne can’t wait to get going.

She said: “It's one of those ones that you're kind of toying your mind around. You want time off, but I also miss it a lot. When I watched the PWR Cup final last weekend, I wanted to be back already.

“So even though part of you wants the rest, part of you wants to be back with the girls, because I love playing rugby so much and you start twiddling your thumbs if you're just laying on a sun bed in Dubai.

Harlequins bounced back last season from a below-par showing in 23/24 and will be aiming for silverware in 25/26, given some of their impressive recruitment.

The Red Roses star, however, believes that the key for Quins will be the development of their youth to protect against the inevitable injuries that come with top-level rugby.

Kildunne said: “We had a really good run of games at the start [of last season], and then we came up against the top four teams back-to-back. We needed to get better in our collisions and we want to improve the depth of the squad.

"Our number one goal is to win the league. To develop the depth of the younger girls coming through with the quality of training that we've got and to set up a foundation for them in the years to come.

“The thing is in the PWR, because we're still developing the depth, if there's a couple of injuries, you then bring in girls that don't regularly play or are a little bit younger. But that's why it's so important in training to keep on improving the entire squad. 

“I think the PWR Cup has done huge amounts for the girls who haven't been away on international duty. I've got faith and belief in the whole of the squad now, it doesn't matter if you're a regular week out or not. That will be key to taking us across the line.”